The lockdown across the world has been beneficial to the environment in many ways. The lack of intervention from humans had helped the ecosystem flourish. The World Environment Day that falls on Friday could be an opportunity to celebrate this.
The prominent environmental organisations here that used to celebrate the day every year with major events have taken the back foot this time. “With the lockdown still in effect and restrictions on public gatherings, we cannot hold any events as usual,” said K.T. Abdul Nassar, secretary of Ente Swantham Iruvazhinji. take the backfoot
However, the organisation is launching a four-month project on Thursday as part of its Iruvazhinji Samrakshana Yajnam to convert the banks of the river into a ‘fruit valley’.
Mukkam, Kodiyathur, Karasseri and Chathamangalam are the panchayats located on the banks of the Iruvazhinji river. As part of the project, saplings of fruit-bearing trees, especially the native ones, will be planted at the major junctions in these panchayats as well as on the banks of the river.
On Thursday and Friday, the families residing on the banks of the river will be engaged in cleaning up the river. Mukkam municipal chairman V. Kunjan will open the programme at Mukkam at 10 a.m. on Thursday while district panchayat president Babu Parasseri will launch the Fruit Valley Project at Koolimad at 4 p.m. on the same day.
The saplings to be planted have already been distributed to the families, Mr. Nassar said.
Meanwhile, the district unit of the Kerala Nadi Samrakshana Samiti is planning to revive a sacred grove at Marad as part of the World Environment Day observance, Samiti secretary T.V. Rajan said.
Eom/Aabha